Nevada County picayune., 1887-12-14

the outlaws, and by the time the latter had ambushed themselves the troopers, little dreaming of the dreadful fate that awaited them, were not a thousand feet away. On they came with the speed of the wind. Baker and his three pals, their fingers pressing the triggers of the guns, awaited with tiendish delight the culmina- tion of their hell born plot. Finally the point where the rope spanned the road was reached. Then a deed of blood was enacted that must have made angels weep and caused the tienls of the bottOmless regions of hades to dance with joy, could they have beheld it. As the flying egulnes sped under the rope the doomed riders were swept from their backs as though they were etfi.ies of straw instead of stalwart men, and amid chorus of yells, screams, gioans aud cur ses. the luckless riders tumbled in a heap to the earth, while the ri- derless horses went capering down the highway. At the instant the ten unfortunate soldiers were un. horse1, up rose Baker and his fel- lOw-assassins .and poured into them murderous vOlley' of buck shot as they lay helpless in the road, some of them with broken limbs and crying out from pain.- Having emptied their guns, the murderers each drew two revOl- vers from his belt, and, approach ing their victims, stood directly over them and riddled sheir bod. les with bullets. Nor did they cease their murderous work nn- til the last charge had been eX- pended. To add horror to the al- ready ghastly tragedy, the tends wound up their Orgie of blood by shockingly mutilating the bodies of the slain soldiers. Not one of the ten escaped the death-trap.
 The news of this terrible affair spread like wild fire, and aroused the military from the Mississippi to the Rio Grande. Texas at once be- came too hot for Baker and his band. They took refuge in the swamps and cane-brakes of Red river, and for season the country was free from their depredatiOns. In few months, however, Baker emerged from his hiding place. and resumed his lawless operations, this time in Arkansas. There was probably not good, law'abidIng citizen in all that country who did not repent that Baker was ever born, or who would not have re. joiced to hear of his death; but none had the reckless courage to undertake the dangerous job ot putting him out of the way. The simple act of killing him was not SO difficult of accomplishment, but the almost certain knowledge tLat the slayer would be marked for vengeance by the friends of the desperado, whose name was legion caused men to shudder al the thought of undertaking the work.
 However, the large reward set upon his head at last brought forth the man for the occasion. His name was John Davis, of Lafay- ette county. But even he would consent to execute the job only on the condition that another would assume the responsibility for it. Thomas Orr, the present sheriff of Miller county, agreed to pose as the executioner of Baker, and take all the credit, all the blame, and all the consequences the act might entail, and tor d long time was known as the man who rid the earth of this phenomenal dcspera' do. Thus while Davis is entitled to the credit of having been the executioner, it is generally conced. ed that Orr displayed by far the most courage in shouldering the responsibility, at a time when It was extremely perilous to life to do so. Baker and one of his com rades in crime were slain in a farm house in Lafayette m0w Miller) county. John Davis was quite an old man, and one who would not have been suspected as capable of such sanguinary work. But the large reward doubtless had a con trolling influence in urging him forward. He learned that the two outlaws were stopping at the house in question.